Forget The Night Agent, Spy Thriller Based on Real Events Is About to Drop on Netflix
If you were disappointed by the second season of the spy thriller, it's time to move on.
All episodes of the second season of the spy series The Night Agent – one of the main hits of the streaming service – have been released on Netflix. The story of FBI agent Peter Sutherland quickly became a leader in terms of viewership.
Although the show confidently holds the top spot on Netflix, its ratings are not so impressive – on Rotten Tomatoes it received only 43% from viewers.
If you were disappointed with the new chapter of the spy thriller, then Netflix is preparing another gift for fans of the genre – the 2022 film Rogue Agent, based on real events.
What Is Rogue Agent About?
England, 1993. A man named Robert gets a job as a bartender. One day, he gathers a group of three students and reveals to them a terrible secret: an Irish Republican Army cell has been operating in the nearby college for over a year.
Its members steal fertilizer to make bombs. The narrator himself claims that he is not a bartender, but an undercover MI5 agent who really needs help.
Nine years later, Robert begins an affair with a wealthy London lawyer named Alice. But Alice decides to check out her new partner. Much to her surprise, a private investigator returns empty-handed: a man named Robert Hansen is missing from the databases.
Rogue Agent Is Based on the Life of a Real Con Man
Journalist, screenwriter and producer Michael Bronner spent 16 years following the fate of a con man posing as an MI5 agent. After investigating, he wrote a lengthy article that was never published and was eventually turned into a movie script.
The names of all the victims were changed for ethical reasons, but the real name of the criminal, Robert Freegard, remained.
At the same time, Bronner was not the only journalist interested in the character. In 2022, Netflix released a documentary miniseries, The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman. In it, Freegard's victims tell their stories in the first person.
Freegard's Victim Alice Is One of Gemma Arterton's Best Roles
The main asset of Rogue Agent is Gemma Arterton as Freegard's main victim. The actress, known for her strong characters, emphasizes that even a modern, intelligent, successful woman can be the target of a con man.
The contrast between Arterton's image and the female vulnerability when a manipulator plays on a partner's most vulnerable feelings is particularly striking.
Rogue Agent Is Coming to Netflix
Rogue Agent is coming to Netflix very soon – the thriller based on true events will arrive on the platform on February 12.